


Of Consequence

by darkangelmya



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25082896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkangelmya/pseuds/darkangelmya
Summary: When Leo finally takes on a retainer, Xander cannot accept who he has chosen. If Leo insists on making big decisions for himself, then he will have to prove he’s ready to handle the consequences that may ensue.
Relationships: Leon | Leo & Marx | Xander, Leon | Leo & Zero | Niles
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

Shadows in Krakenburg’s long halls beckoned Leo forward, his shoulders steeled against the coming encounter with all the resolve that fourteen years of life in Nohr’s castle had bred into him. He knew what was to come, of course. No doubt half the castle did by this point, which was a conservative estimate given it was already midmorning and there was no information that travelled faster than gossip amongst the maids. With the guard up in arms for most of the night, the majority of Windmire would know by midday at the latest. 

So it came as no surprise when Xander’s retainer appeared at his door to deliver the summons at first light. Leo had only just risen before the expected knock came. Exhaustion still clung to his frame and had he not good reason to avoid rousing his elder sibling’s ire, he’d have insisted on an afternoon meeting and returned to bed. The scant few hours of sleep he’d procured after all had been said and done the night before was hardly enough for him to formulate any manner of sound argument, but he would need to make due. He spent the walk through Clarkenstein’s familiar halls to gather his thoughts. 

There was no shortage of people who cared little for the royal family; Nohr had never been a prosperous nation, but according to Xander hardships had only grown in recent years. What fleeting semblance of peace they held under Queen Katerina’s rule was long dispersed and the memory only further soured the difficulties the people now forced to endure. Growing tensions at the border were to blame, no doubt, and empty bellies did not kindle fond feelings among the citizenry. Even so there were few that dared to openly speak of taking action against them, and fewer still bold enough to try and break into the castle itself. 

Whether trying to kill him had been their intent from the start or simply an unexpected opportunity, Leo still hadn’t fully ascertained. To call them bandits implied too much, they were scraps from the slums, starving and cold and undoubtedly desperate. Perhaps he had been in their way when they broke into the library, or perhaps taking Leo’s life had been the prize at the end of a labyrinth of stone and Krakenburg soldiers. Either way he was certain to deny them that particular pleasure. 

He’d intended to deny the thieves far more, their ability to breathe among them, yet they had made an unexpected move after he’d laid to waste the first of their number. They’d stabbed one of their own, left him bleeding at Leo’s mercy and made their escape. A wry grin twisted in defeat; silver white hair obscuring a worn black eyepatch and an icy blue stare that had surrendered hope long before the moment of treachery.

It would be long before Leo ever forgot that moment. 

Leo turned the corner sharply and the rough weave of bandages ripped away from the laceration on his arm. He’d not had the time to clean or redress it in the handful of minutes between waking and his sibling calling upon him; he’d barely had the time to hide it under the regalia he’d pulled from his wardrobe. An arrow that missed its mark, the only notable injury Leo had sustained in the skirmish. Was it for that reason the archer among them singled out as their sacrifice? Were they betting that Leo was more likely to choose vengeance over pursuit? Or was it the fates that had placed that man at his feet? 

Zero, the other thieves had called him. Starving and clothed in rags like the others, Leo had expected from him the same lack of integrity that his so-called ‘friends’ had demonstrated in abandoning him there. He had expected the same boring spectacle he always witnessed, the same grovelling for their lives, bargaining, pleading- offering to trade information for safety. Leo had seen this play a hundred times. 

Yet this one had a different story. 

The man didn’t beg, he didn’t plead, he didn’t fear the prospect of death even as Leo began to carve it into him with the magics he’d unfurled humming eagerly in his ears. Instead Zero had goaded him to action, had surrendered himself to the death that awaited him, all but begged for it. It had intrigued Leo, piqued his interest enough to stay his hand. 

This man was strong enough to break into Krakenburg and not fall to the first lance to bar his path. That already made him somewhat notable. He did not crumble beneath the pressure of shackles and pain; that was a fortitude Leo had rarely witnessed. Yet he asked for death… he had no reason to fight for his life, which meant no true attachments to anything man or material beyond these walls. Rare were such people. It made killing him feel like a waste. Leo had a much better use for a life such as that and if Zero was keen on surrendering it, he would gladly collect. 

The large wooden door came into view, the same retainer who had delivered the summons stood dutifully at the entrance. Leo nodded and found the gesture returned in a deeper echo that could have been a proper bow. He did not knock before entering; were Xander otherwise engaged, his retainer would have said as much. Leo was not coming here for permissions and he would not begin the meeting by seeking one simply to enter. 

\---

Xander looked up as the door swung open, a small set of reports still stacked neatly in his grip. Though he did not wear his usual black armour, he looked no less formidable behind his desk. Black metal curled into the band upon his head that marked him as crown prince, more detailed than the simpler one against Leo’s own blond strands. Heavier, he imagined, though Leo would not pretend to know its weight. 

“You wished to speak with me, Brother?” 

“Ah, Leo, yes,” Xander replied, a hand smoothing out the parchment beneath his fingers. “I received the reports from last night’s disturbance, including one from the healer on duty. It says you had her tend to one of the men who had broken into the castle, is that true?” 

It was. The question was a mere formality, and meant to invite Leo to tell the tale, which was in and of itself another formality. The stack of reports beneath Xander’s fingers had told him most of it already. 

Leo’s lips pressed into a line, his arms folded neatly behind his back in a gesture Xander was beginning to recognize as habit when his younger sibling carefully considering the words he spoke. Despite his youth Leo was already drilled in the subtler ways of the court and had both a quick and cunning mind that served him well there. Xander so often wished he could spare Leo its brutality. An empty notion perhaps. There was no avoiding the politics, not when they’d been forced upon him when he’d only barely learned his letters. Leo had seen the cruelty of Nohrian politics for the better part of his life, had watched, had fought for his life as the concubines all clawed at each other for power. Even now, Xander felt the heavy press of regret. He’d done what he could to protect them, to try and spare them from the bloodshed, but by the end it had painted them all, and left their other half-siblings dead. 

It was for that reason when he woke to the report of the previous night’s disturbance, he found himself reliving past fears. The thieves had taken a few swipes at valuable trinkets, but nothing remotely worth the risk of invading Krakenburg. Which meant that couldn’t have been their true target. The guards had lost them in the halls; all the reports suggested it was Leo who had encountered them and dealt the decisive blow, but no one had witnessed it personally. Xander didn’t care for the implications. Had these men targeted Leo intentionally? Or had it been his brother’s wit that cut off the thieves’ escape? Then there was the unusual report from the healer. He needed his siblings’ account to make sense of it all. 

“You’ll forgive me for not submitting my own report, I’d not the time to prepare it yet with everything that happened.” Leo answered in a measured cadence. “Your reports speak true. I killed one of the thieves, and when it became clear that they could not win, they sought to flee by any means. The remaining thieves betrayed the man in question and left him for dead to ensure their escape. I sought out the healer to see that he did not lose his leg as a result.”

Xander took in that information, paired perfectly with the medical report he’d received earlier: a stab wound to the leg, bruising indicative of bindings, and the typical malnutrition one would expect of a criminal from the less reputable quadrants of Windmire. Yet Leo still held the piece Xander was seeking, and the careful calculation in his eyes meant Leo knew full well what he was doing. 

“Did you take up the pursuit against them?” 

“No, they came upon me while I was studying late in the library. I was unaware of the intrusion until that point or else I would have taken action sooner.”

Xander let out a measured sigh. Reports said that the thieves had broken in well past the midnight hour. What was Leo doing up so late, and alone besides? Xander knew the answer much though he wished he did not. “Brynhildr again? Leo haven’t we discussed this already? You’re still too young to be trying to decipher that tome.” 

“I don’t see how that has any relevance to the present subject.” A flicker of something flashes across Leo’s expression, but it is much too quick for Xander to grasp. 

“Very well.” Xander would permit him that in light of the more pressing issue. “You drove off the surviving thieves except for the man they injured. Where is he now?” 

“Resting in my chambers. I’m told it will be at least a day or two before he is able to walk properly on that leg. I don't expect he should get into too much trouble should he wake in my absence.”

“Leo.” Xander’s voice flickered deeper with disapproval despite the effort he made to keep it even. “That man broke into the castle, killed several of the guards and, unsuccessful though it was, he made an attempt on your life. He belongs in a cell where he can await a trial.” 

“An execution, you mean.” 

“That is the punishment that befits his crime, yes. One he surely was aware of when he decided on his course of action last night. You of all people are aware of what fate awaits those who turn against Nohr. So why did you take such elaborate efforts and even risk housing him in your chambers? You haven’t even selected a retainer as of yet. Who would have assisted you should the man have turned on you in the middle of the night? You must see how foolish of a risk that was!” 

Shadows settled into the furrow of Leo’s brow and his already careful regard chilled until it was little different than the icy stone walls that stood between them and the sharp winter winds. Leo’s shoulders shifted as the grip behind his back tightened. 

“I am aware.” The metronome of syllables does little to warm the space between them, and it is only by its steady pace that Leo is able to quell the burst of contempt that Xander’s words kindle in him. _Did he think Leo that stupid? Think he had not considered any of that?_ Leo knew perfectly well the risk he was taking, knew that objectively it might seem foolish. Perhaps it was. Leo no longer cared. It had only taken an hour by the fire, two at most, of conversation the previous night for Leo to be certain. 

Zero was exactly the kind of man he needed. 

“However, Brother, you are mistaken about one thing. I do have a retainer; I’ve decided to enlist this man’s services in that regard. He has already agreed to it.”

“Leo!” Xander’s voice rose, punctuated by the sharp clap of hands against the wooden desk. The quill trembled with a clatter and papers shuffled against the sudden movement but Leo did not so much as flicker. “That is preposterous, I will not permit you to hire a man who _attempted to kill you_ to serve as your retainer. You have had your pick of Nohr’s finest guard for months now. There is an entire host of cavalrymen that would be honoured to serve you in any capacity you ask of them.” 

“All of whom report to you first, is that not right, Brother?” 

“Is that what you’re worried about?” 

“I don’t need one of your men to be my nursemaid; I’m not a child anymore Xander.” 

Leo could not help but notice the lack of denial. Xander never had been a particularly apt liar especially to those who knew him well. Perhaps one of those men would serve him and do so gladly, but they would always feel indebted to his elder sibling for granting them the post. They would report to him on Leo’s activities and actively deter the younger prince from anything Xander wouldn’t care for him doing. He had no need for that. Leo didn’t want to be coddled, he needed someone to keep him sharp, keep him strong, push him so that one day he could finally surpass his sibling or escape his shadow at the very least. He’d never get anywhere with his retainer on his elder brother’s leash. No- he needed someone that would serve _him_ and no other.

“This has nothing to do with being a child or not. You are making a grave mistake. I will not allow it, Leo.” 

“I came here to inform you of my decision, not to ask for your permission, Xander.” Leo’s answer brimmed with the strain of anger clashing against a forced formality. “Who I choose to take as my retainer is none of your concern!” 

“It is when their lack of ability puts your life in danger!” Xander’s voice crescendos high enough to grant him pause at the emotions that escaped him. He shook his head, let out a long and measured sigh. “You don’t understand. I’m certain you see some reason why this man may serve you well, but people like that are fickle, care for themselves before any other. They’ll do and say exactly what you want them to so long as you give them gold but do you really think someone like him would follow you to the front lines? Would surrender his life to ensure you remained unharmed? You may think the answer is yes, but I assure you, he _will_ flee when things grow difficult. You cannot count on someone like that.” 

Say exactly what he wanted to hear? It had scarcely taken fifteen minutes to cure Leo of any notion that Zero would cater to his whims in that regard. He spoke sharply and freely with little regard for what his words might sound like to others or to what extent they left the fourteen year old mortified by their implications. Clearly the healer had left that part out of her report. Yet in spite of it, Leo found it oddly refreshing. He didn’t want to be catered to, didn’t want someone to stroke his ego. He would never get stronger if no one was willing to challenge him. 

No it was Xander who did not understand. Xander who had not seen the eyes of a man who had surrendered to death, who had no reason to fear it. He had not seen the battle between them, had not witnessed a rare level of skill for a man as starved and untrained as Zero was. He saw worth only in the regimented training the castle guard received, the groomed pedigree of the nobility as though that might foster some manner of undying loyalty that no other could possess. Xander had not seen the keen judgment, nor witnessed the raw potential Zero possessed. A gem amidst a rocky quarry; one whom Leo could be assured did not already serve the interests of another. Wit and cunning had permitted that man to survive until this point and Leo would harness every bit of it as he continued to navigate Krakenburg’s court. 

Xander did not understand that the strength Leo sought, that he wished from his retainer, was not merely a blade upon the battlefield. He’d learned long ago there were far greater forces at work within the castle walls and if he was to conquer them, he would need someone capable of more than swinging a sword.

“I suppose we will find out, then, won’t we?” Leo answers, allowing his frustration to be tempered by the image of the day he proved his elder sibling wrong. 

“It isn’t that simple, Leo. You’ve never been on the battlefield.” A blessing in so far as Xander was concerned, and one he’d see continue for as long as he was able to spare Leo its horrors. “It’s not like your training exercises. Enemies will do anything to see you killed, there is no honour or mercy. You have to be able to trust your retainer to watch your back. This man already tried to stab you in it, what is to stop him from doing so again?” 

“If he should be so foolish I will put an end to him myself. I bested him once, I can do so again.” 

“And when you are worn and beaten from hours of battle? Will you be so capable then? I think not.” 

“You underestimate me, Brother. I can take care of myself. Stop treating me like a child!” 

“Very well then.” Xander pushed himself up from his seat, palms still flat against the desk and parchment crinkling beneath his fingers. “If you are so certain of your skill, then you should have no problem with proving it on the training grounds.” 

“Is that a challenge, Brother?” 

“Precisely.” Xander answered and the sharpness of his gaze when it rises to Leo is the first thing that nearly makes him falter. “If you can prove that you are strong enough to face any consequences your decision may have, then I will allow you to keep this man as your retainer. However, if your skills are wanting, I will send him to the dungeons and he will face whatever awaits him for his crimes against the royal family. Am I clear?” 

“Perfectly.” Leo set his jaw even as he felt the weight of that statement settle over him. Defiance crashed against the calculating logic that was quick to remind him he’d never bested Xander in any of their training sessions, and with that look on his face it was clear his older brother had no intention of going lightly. Xander intended to force his own decision upon him, allowing Leo this opportunity only served to prevent him from protesting afterwards. That knowledge curdled in his gut but it was just as quickly washed away by contempt. 

If Xander thought Leo would surrender, he would find himself sorely mistaken. Besides, Leo still had a trump card of which even his elder sibling in all his wisdom and abundant reports was unaware. 

“I expect you to not go back on your word after I’ve won.” 

“You need to win before you worry about that. Now. You’ve had a great deal of excitement over the past twelve hours.” Xander sat himself back down. “Rest properly. The day after tomorrow we will put your ability to the test.” 

“Very well. I take it that is all you require of me?”

“For the time being, that will suffice.” 

“Then I shall take my leave.” Leo turned towards the door. 

“Leo.” 

“What is it?” He paused, but did not turn to see what expression paired to the softened tones. 

“You know I only want what is best for you.” 

“Of course. I appreciate your concern, Brother. I do.” Leo’s answer remains firm, unmelted for the roaring fire that crackled in the hearth in the achingly long pause in his words.  
  
“But with all due respect, what is best for me, is no longer for you to decide.”


	2. Chapter 2

Silence never truly came to the training grounds, but today the hum in the air was palpable. It wasn’t unheard of for the royal siblings to make use of the facilities, but a true duel between them was a rare occasion, one for which the rumour had spread with near the same speed as that of the intrusion. Every guard not on duty seemed to have gathered to watch as Xander tightened his gauntlet and tested Siegfried’s weight in his grip. 

He had faced Leo on a plethora of occasions, had trained together with him since they were both young. It was his duty as the eldest to prepare the younger siblings for the battlefield and he did so gladly. There was no questioning the skill of all his siblings, but Leo in particular had a drive that was near frightening in its intensity. Since Leo had chosen to take up magical studies instead of the blade, he had become an even greater force to be reckoned with. Despite the advantage of Xander’s years and experience on the battlefield, the gap between them had closed markedly in recent months. He could no longer afford to be careless when he faced his younger brother, could not go so lightly as he had in their youth.

But then he’d no intention of going lightly at all today. This was not a training match. 

Leo stood opposite him on the battlefield, dressed in his own armour and for a moment Xander could almost envision him at the head of a contingent of Nohrian soldiers. Gone was the youthful uncertainty, the soft edges of the boy he had guarded. Leo was constantly reminding Xander that he was no longer a child, but perhaps this was the first time Xander was truly seeing it for himself. 

He saw no sign of the tome that Leo intended to bring into the battle; Xander knew he’d a host of them he could choose from. It had been well over a year since he’d graduated from fire tomes and Thunder had held his interest for little longer. His attention had turned to dark magic in the past handful of months, and Xander had not missed the keen gaze with which Iago had regarded him since then. Though he Father’s retainer and tactician, Xander held little fondness for the man and even less for the near predatory look with which he took to Leo as though he might try to sweep him under his wing. It had taken the better part of Xander's effort to try and find ways of distracting the man. A task whose difficulty compounded even further when Leo began tinkering with Brynhildr. 

The divine tome had been a treasure of the royal family since time immemorial, since the days of the First Dragon wars if the legends were to be believed. Not unlike his own Siegfried, it was said to bestow incredible power upon the one who could wield its true might. It had taken a pilgrimage to the rainbow sage for Xander to understand his blade’s secrets, but Brynhildr guarded its own in another manner. A magical cipher, one that had reduced Nohr’s greatest mages to tears. Presumably placed upon it by its previous wielder, to open only for whomever could prove their talent by removing the bindings. It had been generations since anyone had to Xander’s knowledge, and it seemed as though Leo intended on being the next. 

More than once Xander had tried to dissuade his pursuit of the tome’s secrets. Not that he did not think Leo capable; to the contrary, his sibling’s talents in magecraft were nothing short of prodigal. Night after night Leo buried himself away in the library trying to work his way through the magical seals. One day Leo would succeed, and the day he did would be the last from which Xander could shield him from the battlefields. It was a day he hoped long in coming. 

Xander shook his head, dismissing such thoughts. A problem for the future, the present boded an entirely different concern. The man in question stood behind Leo, and it was the first time Xander lay eyes upon him despite his presence in Krakenburg for three days now. Reports could only offer limited information, but even in person, he didn’t seem like much. Though he cleaned up and wore a fresh cloak to shield against the sharp winder winds, his silver hair was still unruly and his posture suggested little in the way of decorum. Despite his bandaged leg, there was a certain smugness in every corner of his expression even when he met Xander’s disproving gaze. If anything that only fuelled the fire. He leaned over and whispered something to Leo, which seemed to amuse his younger brother. Xander let out a breath.

This was a mistake, and Xander was certain Leo would understand that eventually. This man could not hope to offer him what he would require, would fail him at the worst possible moment, but Leo who still wanted for experience could not see that. More than likely all this defiance was the result of rebelliousness on Leo’s part, expected for his age, perhaps. Even so, it was Xander’s duty as the eldest to correct it before it became fatal. If Leo wanted to insist he was an adult, he would have to prove he was capable of handling the consequences that came with it. 

Leo stepped forward away from the onlookers and his would-be retainer alike, leaving Xander to mirror the gesture. Though the crowd still hummed, they faded from his perception until his focus encompassed his younger brother and no other. 

“What are the conditions for victory?” Leo spoke first. 

“The first to disarm the other, or to force a concession.” Xander answered, and his blade shifted in his grip. “Receiving a blow that should have been fatal constitutes an automatic loss.” 

“Very well.” Leo nodded once in agreement. It was as he’d anticipated, the same rules that governed their more serious sparring matches. This was far more than a simple game, and the careful calculating lines upon Leo’s face traced it as clearly as the tension that sparked the seconds between them. 

The noon bell tolled. 

Xander ploughed forward. Siegfried carved mercilessly through what air remained separating them. Leo shifted his weight and slipped around the strike, his own arm reaching behind and pulling familiar pages. Xander only caught a glimpse of the cover.   
  
_Nosferatu._ So he intended to win by draining Xander of his stamina? He’d not find him so easily tired as that. 

Xander pressed forward with his shoulder giving Leo no chance to pull the spell from its pages. The younger’s balance broke but he swung swiftly around and pushed back to elongate the space between them. Smart, he was at a disadvantage in such close range and he knew it, but Xander would not make it so easy for him. Xander pressed the distance closed once again. 

A flash of magic lights in his periphery. The air he drew in felt thick and heavy, syrup too slow to reach burning lungs. Magic sent a warning chill down his neck, and Leo’s was no less potent than a spell with the intent to kill. Xander grit against its tethers and pulled himself back into stance, hovering there for only the faintest of seconds. He pressed his left forward and a sharp swing upwards forced Leo back onto the defensive. He pushed harder this time, not leaving the slimmest of openings for his brother to regain his footing. Leo knew his style, had danced with Siegfried in the past, but never had Xander brought its full potential to bear against him. The difference carved desperation even deeper into Leo’s features, yet the fire in his eyes burned all the brighter, defiance spurred by his back against the proverbial wall. 

Magic and sword whipped and clashed with the rise and fall of spectators' cries. The entire crowd held its breath and burst into cheers in near unison as the clash swelled and receded. There was no clear support for one side or the other, just an eagerness for a good fight, and the two princes certainly did not disappoint. Every eye was fixed on them. It made skirting the outskirts of the battle easy enough, even for someone with an injured leg. 

\----

_“A test, milord?”_

_“Yes.” Lord Leo had been in a foul mood since returning from wherever he had been off to all morning. At least, Zero assumed it was a foul mood. He couldn’t pretend he knew this little lordling well enough to say. Maybe this was his usual temperament and last night he’d been unusually pleasant. Zero would find out, he supposed._

_“My elder brother seems to think that I have erred in my decision to hire you, and intends to prove it with this duel of his. He’d have me face him on the training grounds but I doubt that’s all there is to it.”_

_“Think he has a trap set up?”_

_“Xander is not much one for subterfuge, but he wishes to prove you incapable of watching my back, so I expect he will take the opportunity to try and press that point in particular. Be assured, he fully intends to test us both.”_

_“Ooo a test from the crown prince. How daunting.” Zero’s lilt dances the line between curiosity and eagerness. “So then, I take it you have something or another planned out already?”_

_Leo’s gaze only briefly catches Zero’s, a faint spark of approval filling in where he leaves words unspoken._

_“Xander presently employs two retainers, a man and woman, cavaliers both. You would have seen the former, he delivered the summons this morning.”_

_“Knew I was watching, did you?”_

_“You seemed far too curious not to.” Leo shrugged._

_“Well well, we really_ are _getting to know each other, aren’t we?”_

_“I cannot say for certain what Xander intends to do, but he will be engaged in our duel, so it will likely be one of his retainers tasked with it. Your job will be to figure out what it is and to interfere as you deem fit.”_

_“You really do know how to have a good time, don’t you?” Zero hummed as he toyed with the idea. A simple one at first inspection, but not nearly so clear cut beneath the surface. The test wasn’t just the crown prince’s. Zero recognized the layer that Lord Leo had added for himself. This was to be his job moving forward: working behind the scenes to put his own lord at an advantage. Lord Leo would see what he was capable of in a bid where Zero’s life and his lord’s reputation hung in the balance. He knew this job would be high stakes, but right out of the gate and it was life or death already._

_Well he’d have to see that he didn’t disappoint._

\------

It wasn’t terribly hard to find the retainers in question. Zero had already memorized the face of the first when he’d come to Leo’s door, and had made a point to cross paths with the second before the duel. Both seemed dutifully focused on the clash in front of them, following the movements of both combatants with an experience that betrayed their knowledge of a fight. Nothing seemed out of place with the woman, she winced when Lord Leo got a blow in, cheered when Xander took the lead. Zero moved on. 

It was the male cavalier that held his attention; it took Zero a minute to realize why. The way he followed the fight, he wasn’t watching his own lord; his focus was entirely on Lord Leo. Now that was a bit unusual. Perhaps Lord Leo was struggling, but even as the battle waged back and forth it never faltered. Zero slipped closer. The man was so focused he didn’t even notice the shift of people behind him. Zero could have cut his purse and slipped off with it with ease. He didn’t strictly need to do that anymore; didn’t make it any less tempting. Men like that were an easy read. 

Heads turned, Zero’s included as Leo took a sharp blow to the side and crashed into the ground, rolling to absorb the impact before climbing back to his feet. Their encounter in the library had taught Zero his new lord was not to be trifled with, but he’d only witnessed a very cursory overview of his ability. This was far more of a crash course, even as the crown prince made a show of pushing him into a corner. Tsk tsk. He was going to regret that. 

Covered in dust and scrapes though he was, Zero recognized that look in Lord Leo’s eye. He’d seen it once, in the brief moments before he’d ripped Zero’s fellow clean from the ground and returned him to it with an impact that shattered the better portion of his face. 

Now was when things would get interesting. 

“A wise commander knows when the battle is lost,” Xander punctuates the approach. Leo was losing ground, and his grit could only take him so far in recovering it. The last tumble had knocked the air out of him; his movements were beginning to slow. It was only a matter of time. Enough was enough. It was time to end this. 

Xander’s swing shaved blond strands of Leo’s hair into the icy wind; a narrow dodge. Another spell slammed against his side, wet and heavy and spilling his stamina like an upturned bucket. Siegfried shifted and took a swipe at the tome. Leo barely kept his grip on its pages and the sensation vanished. “How much longer will you continue to struggle against an inevitable outcome?” 

“Don’t you know me by now, Brother?” Despite his perilous situation, Leo’s lips curled upwards, the grin carving across his face. The weight of mana in the air tripled, filling it with ink and dread. The kinds of shadows one slipped away from in the night and prayed never to cross again. Every instinct Xander had honed screamed of danger and before he’d any conscious control he leapt backwards away from Leo. 

Siegfried sung in his grip, hummed with an anticipation that Xander had never felt from it. He knew the sword to be powerful, unique among blades but he’d never entertained the notion it had a will of its own. Yet in that moment it brimmed with eagerness, resonating with the same force that pricked its way down Xander’s spine. 

Power rolled off Leo in tandem with each chorus. His Nosferatu had vanished; a larger tome with violet hues took its place. Intricate black carvings that seemed to pulse in time with Siegfried’s energy. It couldn’t be-!

“I will keep fighting for as long as it takes to win!” 

The magic crescendoed and Xander hastened from its path; the ground beneath his feet broke and thick roots snared his greaves. He shifted to regain his balance but the pull of gravity ripped him in the opposing direction leaving him to crash against the earth. He took the fall with his shoulder and tried to roll through it. By the time he made it back to his feet, Leo was on top of him. The blow to his wrist was sharp. Gravity itself rose up and ripped Sigfried from his weakened grip and sent its metal clattering across the grounds. 

The entire space held its breath.   
Then the crowd erupted in cheers. 

Xander only vaguely registered the sounds, more demanding was the icy emptiness of the palm Siegfried had been pulled from, the syrup thick trickle of his thoughts as his mind processed what had happened, what he was still staring at. 

_Brynhildr…_

The tome glowed with pride though it paled in comparison to its wielder. So… Leo had managed to unlock its secrets after all. That was… sooner than he could have anticipated. He should have expected as much. When did Leo ever fail to exceed his expectations? Pride melded with mourning- whether Leo wished for it or not… whether he was ready for it or not no longer matters. The days of his childhood truly were behind him now. 

Xander couldn’t shield him from it any longer. He was out of time. That was all the more reason Leo had to be made to understand-!

“You did well, but never forget Leo, defeating the enemy means nothing.” Xander stood but instead of reaching for his blade, his hand rose in the air. Burrowed in the rabble of the crowd, the sound of a bowstring pulling taut echoed the signal. “You are only victorious... when you make it out alive.”

A sharp whistle rose above the noise behind Leo a split second before an arrow fired. 

Leo spun on his heel towards the sound. Brynhildr flashed and the arrow ripped from the air with enough force to bury half the shaft into the dirt at his feet. 

Across the field Xander’s retainer lowered the bow, his eyes still fixed on their target. A brief moment of surprise was quickly replaced by irritation. Irritation that he’d failed, that someone had seen through him. Prince Leo easily grounded the shot, signalled by the one whose presence the cavalier had missed. That the culprit was the scrap Prince Leo had deigned to pick up off the streets somehow made it all the worse.

“Were you told to signal your lord or was that your own initiative?” 

“Oh, I think I’ll leave you to figure that little bit out.” The voice came from a more intimate distance than the whistle had, spoke with an easy cadence and an edge to rival that of the blade the cavalier now felt against the small of his back. “Not that he needed it. I guess no one thought to tell you arrows aren’t very effective against milord. Learned that myself the other night. He’s rather good at that.” 

Xander’s retainer glanced over his shoulder but only caught silver hair in his periphery for the effort. “I’m merely doing what _my_ lord instructed me to.” 

The blade pressed firmly enough to draw a trail of red across the cavalier's skin. “Fire an arrow at milord again and order or no, you _will_ regret it.” 

The pressure of the knife eased, and the telltale sound of it slipping back into a hidden sheath chimes in the cavalier’s ear. In the second before the proximity waned, he jabbed his elbow backwards. Zero tried to move but his injury curbed his mobility and the blow blossomed across his ribs. 

“Oh, _yes_ . Now _that’s_ more like it.” Zero spit and grabbed the cavalier’s coat, yanking him to the side. His fist connected with the man’s nose and nearly sent him stumbling into the arena proper. “Here I was thinking you didn’t know how to have any fun.” 

The surrounding spectators hastened from their path, uncertain whether the grounds or the stands to provide the better show. One soldier gave the cavalier a shove back towards his opponent, but Zero had been in enough street brawls not to let the renewed momentum do more than graze his jaw. He stepped just enough to the side that he caught the back of the man’s jacket and threw him into the dirt. Zero wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing red across his lips in a burst of copper and eagerness. The cavalier rose, lowered himself into a crouch-

“That’s enough!” Xander’s voice snapped through the growing cheers of the crowd.

“Zero, you stand down as well.” Leo echoed the order. 

Both men eased, a disappointed sigh slipped from Zero’s lips. A good fight cut short; but the spiteful glare from the cavalier promised this would not be their last encounter. Yes good. He was much more used to this. Maybe life in the castle wouldn’t be so boring after all. He cast a sidelong look towards Lord Leo and didn’t find near the amount of displeasure he might have expected. Even better. 

“I assume that this is enough to quell your concerns, Brother?” Leo turned back to Xander. 

Xander’s gaze shifted from his brother’s eyes to the arrow buried in the ground. He had ordered it fired somewhere it would leave no serious injury, and he knew his own man’s skill enough that there was no true harm to anything save Leo’s ego, yet his brother had anticipated it, had this man- his retainer- Xander reluctantly admitted, seek out the source and warn him. He would hear his own retainer’s report later, but for the time being he could find no true fault beyond a lack of decorum that spilled onto both sides. For better or worse, this battle was theirs through and through. 

“I never got your name.” Xander nodded towards the silver-haired man. 

“Zero.” The answer came, and he made no move to clean the blood smeared upon his face. 

“Know this, Zero; should you ever fail to serve my brother, a slow death in the dungeons will seem like a blessing compared to what you will endure.” 

“You certainly have a way with words. Don’t you worry, I would _never_ cause milord any undue trouble.” Leo scoffed and rolled his eyes. Zero’s grin widened. 

“Leo, you’re sure about this?” Disapproval still coloured the overtures of Xander’s tones. 

“Absolutely.” Despite his earlier reaction, there was no hesitation in Leo’s words. He answered as firmly as he’d stood tall with Brynhildr’s magicks still swirling about him. It bolstered Leo though it sat in Xander’s gut like a stone. 

“Very well.” Xander answered and Siegfried found its sheath. “I leave the decision of your retainer's employment in your hands then. More importantly, I see you have proven yourself capable of wielding Brynhildr. When did this happen?” Though Xander was beginning to suspect he knew the answer. 

“Three nights ago, in the library,” Leo answered, the tome closed but still in his grip. 

Ah yes, of course. Xander wondered if that played a part in Leo’s stubborn resolve in recruiting this man- Zero- he corrected himself. “I should like to hear the tale in full when you’ve the chance to tell it. For now, you should be proud of what you’ve accomplished, Leo. It was no small feat, I'm certain. However... I do hope you realize what this means.” 

“Of course I do, Brother. I have been telling you, have I not?”

He was no longer a child. Those words he had spoken weighed heavier with each iteration. It was a truth that could no longer be ignored. The day's events would disseminate back into the castle with undue speed having had such an audience bear witness to it. The divine tome was on par with Siegfried in its power and Nohr would need it to quell the growing number of conflicts along the border. Now with a retainer at his side; Leo’s age, his level of experience- none of that mattered near so much as the fact that Brynhildr now answered to him. 

“You have.” Xander conceded with a heavy breath. 

Leo was no longer a child. Xander could no longer protect him; that task was to pass to Zero from here on out. His younger brother trusted this man with that task; so too would Xander find some way to accept it as well. To accept he had done all he could to prepare Leo for what was to come. Their world was changing; would that he could see how it would all turn out in the end. 

For better or for worse, none knew the answer.

“I only hope you are ready for what that means.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big shoutout to Lunaurelle for helping me with the edits and helping me with Niles/Zero's characterization. You're the best- thank you!


End file.
